A Cause Bigger Than Winning: Tritons Set to Host Row for the Cure

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LA JOLLA, Calif. – The University of California San Diego men’s and women’s rowing teams will host their annual Row for the Cure on Oct. 13, with registration currently open. The event will take place at Mission Bay from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.

This will be the 18th year that the teams have hosted Row for the Cure. The Tritons began hosting the event in 2001 after losing alumna Lori Ann Uptegrove and Triton family member Joyce Snyder to breast cancer.

Row for the Cure, which is hosted by organizations throughout the world, raises money for the fight against breast cancer. All of the event proceeds benefit the nonprofit foundation Susan G. Komen, which provides free mammograms, biopsies, ultrasounds and other assistance to breast cancer patients.

Of the funds raised by the Tritons’ Row for the Cure, 75% will benefit Susan G. Komen’s breast health programs in San Diego, while the rest will go towards their international research. Last year, the Tritons raised approximately $20,000. Since 2012, the teams have raised well over $100,000.

The opportunity to host Row for the Cure has been meaningful for both Triton teams.

“Almost every team member has a friend or family member that has been affected by breast cancer so it can be very personal to them. It is among the few times in the year that we row for a cause that is bigger than the typical goals of racing fast and winning,” said women’s rowing head coach Colin Truex. “Their participation in both the actual event and the duties of hosting/event management provide a great perspective to them and I believe they get a lot out of the experience.”

Men’s rowing head coach Zach Johnson echoed Truex’s sentiment that the cause is one that hits close to home for everyone on the teams.

“We all have mothers, sisters and [other] people who are affected by breast cancer,” said Johnson. “We are just honored to help support such a great event.”

This year, there will be two courses available at Mission Bay. UC San Diego will compete on the 4.5 km competitive course, and there will also be a beginner course open for Prone and SUP participants. The Tritons are encouraging everyone to come out and support the cause, even if they are unfamiliar with rowing.

“The event itself is fun, wholesome, energetic, and full of positive energy... It is great to interact with the wonderful people from the Susan G. Komen of San Diego, as well as the breast cancer patient/survivor community,” said Truex.

To register for Row for the Cure, click here, or to donate to Susan G. Komen, click here.

About UC San Diego AthleticsWith 30 national team championships, nearly 150 individual titles and the top student-athlete graduation rate among Division II institutions in the United States, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program annually ranks as one of the most successful in the country. The Tritons sponsor 23 intercollegiate sport programs that compete on the NCAA Division I and II levels and, in summer 2020, will transition into full Division I status as a member of the Big West Conference. UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world’s preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent. A total of 80 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 36 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. In competition, more than 1,300 UC San Diego student-athletes have earned All-America honors.

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